Mayor David Miller has taken a lot of heat from the right-wing faction of city council, but he is the mayor, which means he can put a lot of heat now and in the future on councillors who don’t support him. Those like former deputy mayor Case Ootes, who doesn’t care about political retribution from the mayor and nor is he afraid of him – but others are, particularly those who make up his executive council, or would like to make their way into his inner circle some day.

Today’s vote to approve or reject the collective agreement is taking place against the backdrop of next year’s election. Many are positioning themselves for that election by trying to monitor public opinion, by trying to decide if anyone else will run and has the capacity to beat Miller in the next election, or whether they will be re-elected themselves to serve alongside him. As the mayor has already pointed out to them, a new level of public anger may emerge if council rejects the deal and the strike resumes.

Despite the real concerns that some councillors (even those who usually support the mayor) may have about giving thumbs-up to the deal that keeps the sick bank benefits in place for some union members,  I predict they will cave out of self-interest rather than face the consequences of sticking with their convictions.